Clutch mechanism



A. B. LANDIS.

CLUTCH MECHANISM. APPLICATION men FEB. 191s.

1,43*?,3 1 9. Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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A. B. LANDIS.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

lpyislgg I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9, 1918. NOV.

2 SHEETS-.SHEET 2- @www ` brahamlandia.

remis FFBNT @FHBB ABRAHAM B. LANDS, 0F ENFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLUTCH MECHANISM.

Application filed February 9, 1918. Serial No. 216,210.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that T, ABRAHAM B. LANDis, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Enfield, Montgomery County, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented and discovered certain new and useful Improvements inv Clutch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.y l

My said invention relates vto frictional clutches and more especially to those of the multiple ydisk type and particularly such as for automobileuse. Y

, The device embodies the method of the conventional clutch iii which the frictional disks are held in driving contact by a spring, but consists of an improvement in which by the releasing of the frictional surfaces by means of a lever or foot pedal,` (as used in automobiles) the said spring is but slightly compressed in releasing its frictional disks or elements from driving actron when the spring tension is released from the said frictional elements and transferred on to the shaft on which the clutch is mounted, and the further parting of the frictional surfaces is accomplished without the resistance `of the spring,'making the parting of said surfaces to an amount necessary for freedom of motion between them to prevent lagging of the clutch, and making the said movement inaccomplishing this result one of extreme easea much desired feature in automobile driving. In ordinary practice, to part the frictional surfaces to the extent desired and necessary to prevent dragging, this spring requires to be compressed very much beyond the normal pressure required to hold the required driving friction making it a more or less laborious and objectionable feature. My saldanvention overcomes this objection and makes the clutch action one ofextreme. ease, all as will be hereinafter more fully described l.and claimed.` Referring to the accompanying drawings art hereof, and onwhich Parts-T i.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross section of a clutch showing it closed Figure 2 a like sect-ion s owingthe clutch Open; Figure 3 -a cross section on thegl'ine 3-,3 of Figure 2;

Fi re-4 a cross section bn the Yline 1-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 a cross section on the linel 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 a cross section on the line 6 6 of Figure 3, and,

Figure 7 a side elevation of a casing containing said clutch as it would be mounted in an automobile showing the arrangement of lever and foot pedal for operating said clutch.

A represents a bell or driving` element provided with a hub 10 to which is attached a source of power. A driven shaft 11 has one Vend journalled in the hub 10 of the bell. A. Mounted Within the bell A and keyed to the shaft 11 is the driven element B. The bell A is provided on the inside of its flange with a series of keys 12 while the element B has' a similar Anumber of keys 13 mounted on the outside of its flange. These keys engage key-ways formed in alternately disposed disks 14 common to all disk clutches.

A pressure plate- C is provided with a hub 15 and is adapted to slide longitudinally in line with the shaft 11. This plate servesto force the disks 14 into frictional contact as Willbe readily seen. The hub 15 has a circumferential groove 19 4at its end invwhich operate two segmental shoes which are pivoted to the ends of a yoked arm 17 which is secured to a shaft 18 journalled in a casing E. On the outer end of the shaft 18 is secured an arm 20 with Which is engaged the pedal lever 21 pivoted at 22 on the side of the 'casing E. Mounted in the lower end of the lever 21 is a roller 23 which engages the curved portion 25 of the arm 2,0. This portion 25 is of a form to cause a very slow movement of the arm 20 during thelirstl',

portion of the movement of the-lever 21 and a rapid movement during its finalmovement fora purpose to be explained later. A light spring24 is secured to the outery end of the arm 20 and to the casing E to return the arm 20 on the release of the pedal 21. i

vThe shaft 11 is provided with a circumferential groove 35 and the hub 15 has an internal annular groove 36-which are both beveled on one side only and which are designed to. be alternately engaged by a collar 30 Yformed of a series of segments to permit` offits expansion and,corltraction. This collar 30 is confined between twocirculai plates 31 through which the shaft 11 projects.

Each segment of the collar 30 is provided .With'a slot 33 through which pro]ects la pin 32 -secured at itsr ends in the plates 31 respectively, thereby insuring free radial movement of the segments while confining them to a given space. t

A spring 16 which gives the required pressure to the disks 14 for driving action, encircles the shaft 11 and is located within,the hub 15. One end of said spring bears against a collar D which is threaded on the shaft 11 for the purpose of adjusting the tension while the other end impinges against the adjacent ring 31 which confines the collar 30 thereby causing -it to engage either of the grooves 35 or 36. The beveled side of each of said grooves is of such angle that the collar 30 will not quite repose when free to move out of said gooove by the pressure of the spring 16, so that the pressure on the segmental 'collar will produce very little pressure against the shaft 11 and hub 15 when it slides againsteither.

In Figure 1 the clutch is shown closed, the pressure ofthe spring 16 exerting its load on the frictional disk surface as the collar 30 is enga plate as will be seen and therefore said clutch is in drivin condition. When the pressure plate is Withdrawn from the frictional disks through the means of the lever and arms already described the hub 15 is slid outwardly for avery short distance when the segmental collar 30 will coincide with the groove 35 in shaft 11 and due to the nonrepose angle of the groove 36 said segment by the pressure of spring 16 will slide out of groove -36 into groove 35 of shaft 11 when the spring thrust will be taken on the beveled shoulder of groove 35 and there held Stationary while the hub of pressure plate C will continue to move outwardly without any of the pressure of spring 16 to a wider opening of the frictional surface and without any resistance. Inversely when closing the clutch, pressure plate C will slide into engagement by means of the light spring 24 until the annular groove 36 in the hub registers with the segmental collar now engaging with the groove 35 in sha-ft 11 whenithe pressure of spring 16 due to the bevel sides of groove 35 and beveled surface of the segment collar will slide from groove 35 into groove 36 of the hub 15 and lodge the spring ressure of spring 16 onto the pressure `plate E which then receives the load of said spring.

Itwill be noted that the movement of pressure plate C is very small until the co1- lar 30 is transferred to engagement with shaft 11 and the spring pressure released therefrom and dueto the curve 25 of arm 20 the lever 21 will move through quite a 'distance until this spring pressure is. relieved from the pressure' plate and after said pressure has been relieved the curve 25 of arm 20 then Will cause a uick movement of the pressure late permissi ly due to relief of the load o the ed with the hub 15 of the pressure which in sli surfaces sal spring 16 and thereby a fairly even lightl load.will be required onpedal or lever 21 throughout its movement.

Having thus fully described my said invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a. frictional clutch, the combination of a shaft, a driving element and a driven element, inter-engaging elements with fricelement, inter-engaging elements with friction surfaces between said, driving and driven elements, a pressure plate comprising a sliding. sleeve, a sprin arranged to exert pressure against said s eeve for controlling the pressure upon said surfaces, and means by which the engagement of said spring with said sleeve is transposed to the saidi shaft leaving the pressure platel free from any pressure due to said sprin 3. In a' friction clutch, the com ination of a shaft, a drivingelement anda driven element, inter-engaging frictional disks carried by said elements respectively, a pressure plate embodying a sliding part a sprin iby, which pressure is produced upon said isks throu h said sliding part, means by which in relasing said pressure plate from said disks said spring pressure is disengaged from said shdin part and then held at both ends by said shaft, substantially as set forth.

4. In a Africtional clutch the combination of a: shaft, a driving element, a driven element, frictional disks connecting said elements, a pressure plate, a rspring to exert pressure upon said plate, a recess in said shaft, a recess in the hub of'said pressure plate, a sectional collar upon which said spring exerts its force, means by which said sectional collar is transposed from the recess in said pressure plate to the recess in rthe, shaft and vice versa', substantially as set forth.

5. A frictional clutch comprising interengagingelements with frictional surfaces, a pressure plate embodying a Asliding part, a spring arranged to act against said sliding Y In a frictional clutch, the combination of ar shaft, a driving element and a driven part by which said pressure plate holds the frictional surfaces incontact, and means by htly separating' said frictionalr spring pressure is totally relieved from sald pressure plate permitting further motion of the pressure plate entirely free from any pressure of said spring, substantially as set forth.

6. A frictional clutch comprising interengaging elements with frictional surfaces, a pressure plate, a spring engaging said pressure plate by which the pressure of said spring holds said frictional surfaces in contact, means by which said spring pressure by its release from said frictional surfaces is released from said pressure plate and sustained by said shaft, and its further com'- pression is `stopped while the said pressure plate moves to a further position giving large space between said frictional surfaces, substantially as set forth.

7 A frictional clutch comprising a shaft, driving and driven elements, inter-engaging elements with frictional surfaces through which said elements are connected, a spring bywhich said frictional surfaces are heldin driving contact, a pressure plate having a central perforation, an annular groove in said perforation, an annular groove in said shaft, a segmental collar adapted to alternately engage said grooves respectively when said pressure plate is moved a short distance to transpose the pressure of said spring from said pressure plate to said shaft and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

8. In av frictional clutch, the combination of a shaft, a driving and a driven element,

inter-engaging frictional disks carried on said elements respectively, a pressure plate secured to a sliding sleeve, a spring having one end bearing' at all times against the shaft and its other end arranged for actuating said pressure plate to hold said disks engaged, and means by which the retraction of the pressure plate operates to remove all of said spring pressure therefrom and lodge it upon the shaft, substantially as set forth.

9. In a frictional clutch, the combination of a shaft having a recess, driving and driven elements, frictional engaging parts by which said elements are given drivlng connection, a spring through which pressure is exerted to hold said frictional parts engaged, a sectional collar through which said spring transmits its pressure, means by which said collar may be disengaged from the frictional member and engaged with said recess in the shaft, whereby the pressure of said spring is transferred to said shaft, substantially as set forth.

vIn witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this twenty-third day of January, A. D. nineteen hundred and eighteen.

ABRAHAM B. LANDIs. [as] Witnesses:

MARY MCALLA, ALEX. Gnovms. 

